Pat Caputo  Ndamukong Suh grossly overpaid by Detroit Lions given his production

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) of Team Rice is sacked by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) of Team Sanders during the first quarter at the NFL Pro Bowl football game at Aloha Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

It’s the indication Lions’ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has made a play.

But actually, you don’t hear that sound that much when you think about it. Maybe a few times per game.

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And therein lies the problem with Ndamukong Suh.

This isn’t to suggest Suh isn’t an outstanding player. He clearly is.

He has been named first-team All Pro twice, and made three Pro Bowl appearances during his four years in the NFL.

However, the concept of playing him a salary among the highest in the NFL is ridiculous.

Suh is a defensive tackle. There is only so much impact he is going to make.

Yes, he will take up an extra blocker because he is double-teamed. It will free teammates to make plays. He will control his gap, which is important because it helps prevent opposing offenses from running effectively.

There are times when a quarterback is hurried because Suh breaks the pocket and rushes a throw. It can lead to interceptions.

This isn’t to imply a great defensive tackle isn’t important.

But at what cost?

It is not like the Lions have had a big-play defense with Suh in the middle. They ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL last season with just 22 takeaways.

And an exorbitant salary for Suh prevents the Lions, because of the cap, from adding more actual playmakers.

Suh reportedly has a $22.4 million salary cap hit slated for this year.

He had 5.5 sacks last season, about one every third game and tied for 63rd in the NFL.

Suh was in on 49 tackles - tied for 223rd in the NFL. He deflected six passes and forced a fumble and recorded a safety.

That is less than four actual plays made per game out of the more than 59 snapped from scrimmage, on average, against the Lions’ defense in ’13.

It is far less impactful than a top pass rushing defensive end or linebacker, who reaches double digits in sacks. It is far less impactful than a shutdown cornerback or a stellar safety.

It doesn’t remotely compare with a quarterback, who has the ball in his hands on every offensive play, or a big-play receiver or running back.

And there were defensive tackles who did manage to make more impact plays than Suh last season. The Cowboys’ Jason Hatcher and the Titans’ Jurell Casey both reached double digits in sacks.

Suh hasn’t gotten to double digits in sacks since 2010 – his rookie season. He also a scored touchdown that year off a fumble recovery, intercepted a pass and made a lot more tackles than he has in any season since. The one year Suh was not selected for the Pro Bowl was 2011. He was suspended for two games for stomping on Packers’ guard Evan Dietrich-Smith Thanksgiving Day. It was the Lions’ only winning season since he has been with the franchise.

Suh has obvious talent. He is enormously strong and agile and has incredible athletic skill for his size. There had been disturbing deportment issues, but those have disappeared.

However, Suh’s gifts are underutilized in the middle of the defensive line. I never understood why the previous coaching regime didn’t move him around more to expose weak links on opposing offensive lines – like the Packers did back in the day with Reggie White - instead just leaving Suh where they can repeatedly tee off on him with double teams.

I also feel one of the reasons Ken Whistenhunt would have been an excellent choice as the Lions’ head coach is because he would have brought in a 3-4 defense. Suh has the ideal skill-set for an end in that scheme.

But whether the Lions take a reported $22.4 million cap hit on Suh, who is now represented by Jay-Z’s group, in 2014, or sign him to a huge long-term deal for big bucks, new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and his coaching staff must find ways to enhance Suh’s production in the 4-3 set in ’14.